Tron: Identity
- April 11, 2023
- Bithell Games
- 12h median play time
TRON: Identity is a short, sweet, and incredibly engaging interactive novel that perfectly captures the essence of the franchise.
Get on Steam"Tron: Identity" is a single-player Science Fiction Visual Novel game with an interesting plot, good gameplay, perfect visuals, and fantastic music. As a detective program named Query, you must investigate a break-in at the Repository in a Grid abandoned by its creator. Your decisions will impact the story, determining outcomes and relationships with various intriguing characters. The goal is to recover lost memories and uncover the truth behind the crime.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game captures the TRON aesthetic beautifully with stunning visuals and a fitting soundtrack, immersing players in the world of the Grid.
- The branching narrative and decision-making mechanics provide a compelling experience, making choices feel impactful and encouraging multiple playthroughs.
- The writing is engaging, with well-developed characters that add depth to the story, making it enjoyable for both TRON fans and newcomers.
- The game is very short, typically taking only 2-5 hours to complete, which many players feel does not justify the price tag.
- The puzzles, particularly the defrag mini-game, are often seen as tedious and can disrupt the flow of the narrative.
- The story feels incomplete, with many players expressing that it serves more as an introduction to a larger narrative rather than a standalone experience.
- story182 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Tron: Identity" is generally engaging and well-crafted, set within the familiar Tron universe, but many players feel it is too short and lacks a satisfying conclusion, often describing it as an incomplete first chapter of a larger narrative. While the branching choices add depth and impact to the gameplay, the overall experience leaves players wanting more, with some expressing disappointment over the limited exploration and resolution of the plot. Despite its brevity, the game is praised for its intriguing concepts, solid writing, and nostalgic elements, making it a worthwhile experience for dedicated Tron fans.
“The game perfectly blends the nostalgic Tron universe with the immersive storytelling of a visual novel, creating an experience that’s both familiar and excitingly fresh.”
“The story and characters kept me engaged, and each decision left me intrigued the further I played along.”
“The story was masterfully written and filled with character and depth that can only be appreciated more with further playthroughs to explore the branching paths that go against our natural instincts.”
“The story feels like it’s just starting to begin, and then it just ends.”
“I have no idea if the devs planned on doing an episodic model or are making a sequel, but in its current state, this feels like just one-third of the whole story they are trying to tell.”
“The game ends with no answers or resolutions, or any clarity on what's next in the story.”
- music58 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its atmospheric and immersive qualities that complement the visuals and narrative. While some noted it doesn't quite reach the heights of Daft Punk's work, the soundtrack is described as fantastic, memorable, and fitting for the Tron universe, enhancing the overall experience. A few critiques mention a desire for more variety or a timeline function to explore the music further, but overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature of the game.
“The music feels like it belongs in this world without being a discount Daft Punk.”
“The soundtrack is also good, and the game does a good job of capturing a noir feel with the dialog and narration.”
“The artwork is gorgeous, the characters intriguing, the puzzles are fun (usually), the soundtrack slaps, the writing is accessible while still keeping that Tron flavor, and best of all as soon as the credits roll I'm left wanting to know more.”
“The soundtrack is... serviceable.”
“Music - disappointing.”
“I would actually turn the music off after you've heard all of the tracks.”
- graphics43 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their stunning art style that aligns well with the Tron aesthetic, featuring vibrant colors and well-crafted environments. While some users noted issues like pixelation and glitches, the overall visual presentation, complemented by a fantastic soundtrack, creates an immersive experience that resonates with fans of the franchise. However, a few reviews mentioned that the graphics could feel somewhat mediocre or reminiscent of older styles, suggesting a desire for more advanced animation techniques.
“The environments are well crafted and it definitely captures the spirit of Tron: Legacy's art style.”
“The visuals are gorgeous, the music is fantastic, the story and new concepts at play are endlessly fascinating, both confirming and adding onto fan theories I've been clinging to for ages.”
“The characters, writing, and visuals specifically are what make this game fantastic; it looks stunning, which is typical of the Tron aesthetic, and the characters are all different, with interesting personalities and dialogue.”
“The visuals are weirdly pixelated too despite it only being released this year.”
“The graphics are mediocre to poor 3D renderings with a bit of parallax, so nothing to really write home about.”
“It's like an old Newgrounds flash game with way better graphics and more dialogue.”
- gameplay32 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a visual novel format with simple mechanics, featuring engaging puzzles that add variety but may feel like obstacles to some players. While the story is well-crafted and the choices significantly impact the narrative, the overall gameplay experience is relatively short, averaging around 4-18 hours depending on completionist tendencies. Some players appreciate the unique mechanics, like the defrag mini-game, but others find the gameplay lacking depth and wish for a more streamlined experience.
“The gameplay is mostly standard visual novel stuff and that works well.”
“The puzzle mechanic was also very solid: difficult enough to require some thought but user-friendly enough that I was able to progress the story without any AI help while achieving the bonus objectives.”
“I wasn't sure I would like reading as part of gameplay, but it's drawn me in along with amazing music to create an interesting and fun game.”
“While the story for me was fun, some of the mechanics seemed poorly executed.”
“Gameplay is almost non-existent; you have basic navigation of 'the location' through a couple of choice menus, giving you the illusion of choice, but the linear story keeps this portion of the game on rails.”
“There's almost no gameplay except for the defrag mini game, which is a bit weird but it's not so bad; you can also skip it on subsequent runs.”
- replayability13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is generally considered limited, with most players noting that while there are some branching choices and multiple endings, the overall experience remains short, averaging around 2.5 to 3 hours per playthrough. Some reviewers appreciate the charm and narrative depth, suggesting that replaying can reveal different outcomes, but many feel that the price does not justify the limited content. Overall, it offers a decent replay value for those interested in exploring all story branches, but it may not satisfy players seeking a more substantial experience.
“I think this game has many flaws which could have been fixed with simple voice acting work, but this game has a lot of charm with decent replayability.”
“My first playthrough took ~2.5 hours, which might sound short but there's replay value as there were narrative threads that end differently.”
“It’s also very well priced at 15 dollars, offering a degree of replayability if you want to play the fun puzzle mode or go for all the endings.”
“It's a short visual novel with some branching choices that offer limited replayability and a single minigame to break up the narrative.”
“A single playthrough is ~3 hours long, and there is a limited amount of replayability in that each character you interact with has a few possible story branches (which may result in life or death decisions).”
“Replayability is there, but at the end of the day, you're only really getting a maximum of 5 hours out of this game on a completionist run which just feels a bit unacceptable for 15€.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Tron: Identity" is widely praised for its striking presentation, immersive music, and detailed artwork that effectively captures the essence of the Tron universe. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to create tension and explore complex themes through its atmospheric elements, making it a standout experience for fans, despite its departure from action-oriented gameplay. Overall, the game is noted for its gorgeous ambiance and the emotional weight of its narrative choices.
“The background music in this game suits the atmosphere and captures the tension really well.”
“Tron: Identity has beautiful art with so many wonderful details to enjoy, gorgeous, atmospheric music that feels as much a part of the beating heart of the grid as anything from the movies, and a fantastically crafted story dotted with love notes to the franchise but still very much carving its own path within the universe.”
“It does a phenomenal job capturing the atmosphere and vibe of the grid.”
“For fans of Tron, while this nails the theming, especially the atmosphere and music, it is very light on action. If you like Tron for its depictions of light cycle battles and bombastic disc fighting, look elsewhere perhaps.”
“This is a branching-narrative adventure game with a puzzle-game interlude, which makes it pretty unlike other Tron games that have been brought to market, emphasizing atmosphere and the feeling of making impactful choices rather than fulfilling fantasies of disc wars and sweet jumps on your lightcycle.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect, particularly in the disk defrag mini-game, to be tedious and frustrating, with many describing it as confusing and boring. As the game progresses, the length of the puzzles increases without adding meaningful challenge, leading to a sense of monotony.
“The only criticisms I have are regarding the length, which I touched on earlier, and the defrag mini-game. It's too confusing to be fun, and once you figure out the general strategy, it immediately becomes very tedious.”
“The disk defrag mini-game is awful, tedious, and boring.”
“It became rather tedious and frustrating, and as the story got closer to the finish, the puzzles got longer instead of harder.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game features appealing graphics and a strong aesthetic, but users have noted occasional glitches. Overall, it runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, contributing to a generally stable experience.
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches.”
“I appreciate how stable the performance is, even during intense gameplay.”
“The stability of the game allows for an immersive experience without interruptions.”
“The game offers some nice graphics and a superb aesthetic, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
“I frequently experience crashes that disrupt my gameplay, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
“The game is plagued by constant lag and frame drops, which severely affects the overall stability.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is compared to "Life is Strange" in terms of emotional impact, though it is noted to be less intense; however, it still manages to evoke a significant emotional response from players.
“This game is like Life is Strange, but not as emotional; however, it still manages to evoke strong feelings.”
“The emotional depth of the characters really drew me in and made me care about their journeys.”
“I was surprised by how much the story resonated with me; it left a lasting impact long after I finished playing.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly without any reported bugs or issues, contributing to a positive overall experience.
“The game runs smoothly, and so far, I haven't encountered any bugs or issues.”
“The optimization is impressive; everything feels fluid and responsive.”
“I've experienced no performance drops, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
Critic Reviews
this great Tron game isn’t what you’re expecting
“Tron: Identity is a smart and respectful use of the classic series, turning it into a gripping sci-fi detective story.”
80%Tron: Identity Review
Despite its short length, Tron: Identity's visual novel/detective story is well worth playing – and replaying – to unravel the latest mystery of life on the Grid.
70%Tron: Identity
Grid-Based Decision-Making
70%
